The state Supreme Court ruled that cocaine...

COCAINE RULING.

March 21, 1990

COLUMBIA, S.C. — COCAINE RULING. The state Supreme Court ruled that cocaine possession is a crime of moral turpitude that raises questions about a person's basic honesty. In its 4-1 ruling Monday, the court said a past conviction for cocaine possession might be used in legal proceedings to imply that a person would lie under oath. The court took cocaine possession off the short list of crimes it considers self-destructive but not harmful to others. Self-destructive crimes - including simple possession of marijuana, bookmaking and public drunkenness - cannot be used against people to convince juries in future court proceedings that they might be basically dishonest.